Accreditations and licensures

The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality.

University of Phoenix is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (http://hlcommission.org). Since 1978, University of Phoenix has been continually accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and its predecessor. University of Phoenix obtained its most recent 10-year Reaffirmation of Accreditation in 2012–13. A comprehensive evaluation is scheduled for 2016–17, and the next Reaffirmation of Accreditation is scheduled for 2022–23.

About accreditation

Accreditation is your assurance that the University meets quality standards established by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Regional accreditation is an institution-level accreditation status granted by one of six U.S. regional accrediting bodies. Accreditation by more than one regional accrediting body is not permitted by the U.S. Department of Education.

Programmatic or specialized accreditation applies to specific programs or coursework within an institution and is often associated with professional organizations. See below for University of Phoenix degree programs that are accredited.

The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP®) is one of three major internationally active organizations that accredit business schools and programs. The other two are the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE).

ACBSP standards for academic excellence are designed to align with the mission of teaching institutions with an emphasis on student learning, supported by continuous quality improvement and faculty scholarship.

Why accreditation makes a difference

Only about one in three business schools offers programs accredited by a programmatic accrediting body, making University of Phoenix part of an elite group in the higher education community for business students.

ACBSP Global Business Accreditation is a registered trademark of ACBSP Inc.

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing and the Master of Science in Nursing programs at the University of Phoenix are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education www.aacn.nche.edu/ccne-accreditation.

The educator preparation programs offered at the Hawaii Campus are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), a specialized accrediting body. For additional information, visit caepnet.org.

In addition, educator preparation programs have been reviewed and approved by the state education agency in Arizona, California, Hawaii, and Utah. Educator preparation programs are offered in Florida based on home-state approval (Arizona). The College of Education offers state-specific initial and/or advanced educator preparation programs in these states. Individual programs vary by state, and not all programs are available at all locations or in both online and on-campus modalities.

Only the Master of Science in Counseling/Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Arizona campuses) and the Master of Science in Counseling/Clinical Mental Health Counseling (Utah) programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP®), a specialized accrediting body. For additional information, visit cacrep.org.

CACREP Global Business Accreditation is a registered trademark of the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.

Illinois: University of Phoenix is authorized to operate as a post-secondary educational institution by the Illinois Board of Higher Education, 1 N. Old State Capitol Plaza, Suite 333, Springfield, Illinois 62701-1377, www.ibhe.org.

College credit granted by University of Phoenix. Transferability of credit is at the discretion of the receiving institution. It is the student’s responsibility to confirm whether or not credits earned at University of Phoenix will be accepted by another institution of the student’s choice.

Puerto Rico: University of Phoenix operates under a renewal license granted by the Puerto Rico Council on Education.

South Carolina: Licensed by the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education. South Carolina Campus: 1001 Pinnacle Point Dr., Columbia, SC 29223.

University of Phoenix also maintains voluntary memberships with numerous organizations, including:

Institutional:

American Council on Education®

Council for Higher Education Accreditation®

Consortium for the Advancement of Adult Higher Education

Educause

League for Innovation

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education Cooperative for Educational Technologies

College extension:

ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)

International Society for Technology in Education

Advanced studies:

Council of Graduate Schools

International Leadership Association

Business:

Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs

American Accounting Association

American Institution of Certified Public Accountants

Arizona Quality Alliance

Manufacturing Institute

National Association of State Boards of Accountancy

Project Management Institute

Society for Human Resource Management

Criminal justice:

Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences

American Correctional Association

American Jail Association

ASIS International

FBI National Academy Associates

International Association of Chiefs of Police

National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives

National Sheriffs’ Association

Police Executive Research Forum

Education:

American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education

Council of Chief State School Officers

National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification

National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education

State Consortium on Educator Effectiveness

Teacher Education Accreditation Council

Information systems and technology:

Association for Computing Machinery

Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers

Natural sciences:

American College of Healthcare Executives Higher Education Network

Association of University Programs in Health Administration

Nursing:

Arizona Nurses Association

California Association of Colleges of Nursing

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education

National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties

Social sciences:

Center for Credentialing and Education

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs

Council for Standards in Human Services Education

National Board for Certified Counselors International

National Organization for Human Services

American Council on Education is a registered trademark of the American Council on Education.
Council for Higher Education Accreditation is a registered trademark of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

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